Silverware washing and handling apparatus

ABSTRACT

Silverware washing and handling apparatus including a compartment for receiving large quantities of disoriented, mixed silverware which is moved by vibrating means gradually through the compartment in which a system of guide walls acts to orient each piece lengthwise before it passes through a relatively narrow discharge opening where the pieces are dispersed longitudinally so as to be fed to a continuous sorter and endfor-end orienter in a manageable stream. The compartment may be used just to feed clean silverware, or may be fitted with plumbing to wash the silverware. The compartment provides a very compact unit of large capacity by carrying the silverware through an arc of 180* from the compartment&#39;&#39;s receiving end portion to a discharge opening which is alongside said portion.

[ 1 Aug. 29, 1972 United States Patent Jackson [57] ABSTRACT Silverware washing and handling apparatus including a compartment for receiving large quantities of disoriented, mixed silverware which is moved by vibrating means gradually through the compartment in which a system of guide walls acts to orient each piece lengthwise before it passes through a relatively narrow discharge opening where the pieces are dispersed longitudinally so as to be fed to a continuous sorter and end-for-end orienter in a manageable stream. The compartment may be used just to feed clean silverware, or may be fitted with plumbing to wash the silverware. The compartment provides a very compact unit of large capacity by carrying the silverware through an arc of 180 from the compartments receiving end portion to a discharge opening which is alongside said portion.

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Cord

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The apparatus here disclosed constitutes an improved silverware washing and handling compartment for the complete apparatus disclosed and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 50,466 filed June 29, 1970; and reference is made to that application for a system of plumbing and controls for the washing, rinsing and drying operation, and for details of the finishing tunnel into which silverware is fed from the compartment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the increasing cost and relative unavailability of dependable unskilled help in the labor market, and further as a result of the over-all increase in the cost of all operations where relatively expensive raw materials are a major part of the total cost of doing business, it is becoming increasingly necessary for enterprises engaged in mass food service operations to have dependable equipment which minimizes the service portion of the operation. This applies to restuarants, hotel dining rooms, hospitals and institutions of all sorts, and industrial food service operations. One of the major phases of the mass food service business in which unskilled help has customarily been used is in the washing, drying, and sorting of dishes and silverware. Large capacity industrial dishwashing equipment has been available for many years, but most of it is not readily adaptable to the handling of silverware, and accordingly such operations on silverware have, for the most part, continued to be performed by hand. Both economic and sanitary considerations are in favor of the mechanical handling of silverware.

Soiled silverware must go through five operations in order to return it to supply boxes ready to be reused, and each of these operations must be carried out in such a way as to minimize the risk of damage to the silverware, as by bending the tines of forks or the blades of knives, or bending spoon handles so as to change the angle between the handle and the bowl. These five operations are: l) washing, 2) rinsing, 3) drying, 4) sorting, and 5) orienting to place the handles of all pieces at the same end of the supply box. In approximately the past five years several types of apparatus have been developed for performing one or more, or all of the foregoing processing steps. Reference is made to Kraeft U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,247,858 and 3,339,564 for two related mechanisms which are intended to perform all five operations. A Hansen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,232,425 is directed to apparatus for separating silverware from table waste and disposable paper service in preparation for the washing of the silverware; but the disclosure of that patent includes no silverware washing apparatus.

The two Kraeft patents disclose relatively large, slow operating, and mechanically complex structures for performing the five operations that are required to prepare soiled silverware for reuse and deposit it in service boxes.

The silverware washing and handling apparatus disclosed and claimed in my copending application, above referred to, satisfies the described requirements well.

However, I have found that larger quantities of silverware may be handled in apparatus which requires no more floor space by constructing the silverware handling and washing compartment in accordance with the present disclosure. Likewise, the present structure affords improved means for removing from the compartment solid debris that is scrubbed form the silverware.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved silverware washing and handling compartment for the complete silverware washing, rinsingand drying apparatus of my copending application Ser. No. 50,466 filed June 29, 1970.

The compartment here disclosed has an inclined floor which forms an arc of between a large silverware receiving end portion of the compartment and a restricted discharge opening which is alongside the receiving end portion. Sidewalls, an intermediate wall and guide walls cooperate to define the receiving end portion, an intermediate portion having a first area of diminishing width which is an extension of the receiving end portion and a second area of diminishing width which is alongside the first area and terminates at the discharge opening.

A large quantity of disoriented, mixed silverware deposited in the receiving end portion is moved along the floor by vibration of the latter, and the walls and guide walls guide it around the 180 arc and gradually orient it lengthwise as it approaches the discharge opening.

The floor is a series of steps, with the downstream edge of each step spaced above the upstream edge of the next succeeding step so as to provide a series of upright openings. Wash water jet sprays include upper sprays which are directed upstream toward said openings so that solid debris washed from the silverware is flushed out of the openings and into a drain manifold as the silverware continues to be moved downstream by the vibration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus of the present invention with part of the closure for the silverware compartment broken away to show the interior of the compartment;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the apparatus with parts in section, viewing FIG. 1 from the right;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the apparatus viewing FIG. 2 from the right;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially as indicated along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially as indicated along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and referringfirst to FIGS. 1 and 2, a cabinet base, indicated generally at 10, is provided with a top panel 11 which serves as a support for the silverware handling apparatus of the present invention which is indicated generally at 12. The apparatus 12 includes generally a silverware washing compartment, indicated generally at 13, and a helical silverware finishing compartment, indicated generally at 14, from an open discharge end of which silverware passes through sorting and orienting apparatus which is mounted in the cabinet base in the area indicated generally by the letter S in FIG. 2. The sorting and orienting apparatus, which forms no part of the present invention, delivers the sorted and oriented silverware to supply boxes which are indicated collectively at B in FIG. 1.

As previously indicated, the present apparatus constitutes an improvement upon the silverware washing and finishing apparatus of my copending application Ser. No. 50,466, filed June 29, 1970. The plumbing and electrical control system which are described in detail in that application may be housed in the cabinet base 10 of the present structure. Likewise, the internal construction of the finishing tunnel 14, which serves both to rinse and to dry the silverware (see hot air blast tube 14a in FIG. 1) may be substantially the same as that of the finishing tunnel which is disclosed in detail and claimed in said copending application.

Furthermore, the silverware sorting and orienting apparatus which is in the area S indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawings may include the sorting apparatus of my copending application Ser. No. 44,399, filed June 8, 1970, and the orienting apparatus of my copending application Ser. No. 28,879, filed Apr. 15, 1970; now US. Pat. No. 3,612,268; or alternatively silverware from the finishing tunnel 14 may be fed into any other suitable sorting and orienting apparatus which can sort knives, forks, soup spoons and teaspoons and orient them rapidly and continuously.

In accordance with the present invention the silverware compartment 13 and silverware finishing tunnel 14 constitutes generally unitary apparatus which is resiliently supported upon the panel 11 by means of a plurality of posts 15 having integral horizontal flanges 16 at their lower ends which rest upon thick, soft rubber pads 17. The posts 15 have threaded lower ends 15a (FIG. 3) which impale the panel 11 and are anchored by means of threaded nuts 18 and metal washers 19 which bear against soft rubber washers 17a that surround the lower end portions 15a of the posts beneath the panel 11.

An electric motor 20 (FIG. 3) is seen by reference to FIG. 1 to be mounted beneath the silverware compartment 13 at the axis of the helical finishing tunnel 14, and the motor 20 has its shaft 21 oriented vertically and provided with an eccentric weight 22 by means of which the entire apparatus including the silverware compartment 13 and finishing tunnel 14 is given a generally orbital vibrator motion as permitted by the soft rubber pads 17 on which the posts 15 are supported. The orbital motion of the apparatus advances silverware continuously from a receiving end portion of compartment 13, indicated generally at 23, entirely through the compartment and the finishing tunnel. This arrangement for moving silverware through the apparatus is generally the same as that in my copending application Ser. No. 50,466 filed June 29, 1970.

Referring again more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the silverware compartment 13 is seen to include an upright transverse end wall 24 at its receiving end portion 23, a first longitudinal side wall 25, a secondlongitudinal side wall 26, an intermediate wall 27 which is parallel to the walls 25 and 26, and a diagonal guide wall 28 having a free end 29. The diagonal guide wall 28 divides the silverware compartment 13 into a primary area 30 and a secondary area 31 which are, generally, alongside one another and each of which tapers from its silverware receiving end toward its silverware discharging end by reason of the orientation of the diagonal guide wall 28. At the end of the compartment opposite the wall 23 the side walls 25 and 26 are connected by a generally semicircular wall 32 which forms an arc of a circle struck about the free end 29 of the guide wall 28, and a short transverse wall 33 from the end of the side wall 26 to the endof the intermediate wall 27 completes the perimeter of the compartment 13. The compartment also has a continuous, inclined bottom wall 34, a fixed top closure portion 35, and above the receiving end portion 23 is a pivoted closure portion 36 which is mounted on a transverse piano hinge 37.

As best seen in FIG. 1, an arcuate silverware guide wall 38 curves from the side wall 25 toward the side wall 26 inside the semicircular end wall 32, and a free end 39 of the arcuate guide wall cooperates with the free end 29 of the diagonal guide wall 28 to define a throat 40 between the primary area 30 and the secondary area 31. The throat 40 is slightly wider than the length of the longest piece of silverware to be handled in the apparatus.

The receiving end portion 23 of the silverware compartment is substantially wider than the length of the longest piece of silverware to be processed in the apparatus, so the compartment may accept a large load of disoriented, mixed silverware which is gradually spread out by the oscillatory action of the apparatus and which is generally oriented endwise with respect to its path of travel as it passes through the primary and secondary areas to a compartment discharge opening 41 which is .seen in FIG. 1 to be beneath the short transverse wall 33 and to be substantially narrower than the length of the shortest piece of silverware to be processed in the apparatus. Thus, all silverware enters the finishing tunnel 14 endwise and is discharged into the sorter and orienter endwise. The endwise orientation of the silverware as it approaches the discharge opening 41 is assisted by a guide partition 42 (FIGS. 1 and 2) which is located in the secondary area 31 parallel to the path of travel of silverware moving toward the discharge.

As further seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the compartment 13 is provided with a foraminous silverware supporting floor consisting of a series of vertically separated steps 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48, with each step inclined between 5 and 10 to the horizontal and having a downstream edge (see 43a) which is spaced above the upstream edge of the next lower step (see 44b). Each of the forarninous steps 43-48 is removably supported on brackets in the compartment wall so as to be removable for easy cleaning of the waste water and debris sluiceway which occupies the space beneath the foraminous floor sections 43-48.

A load of silverware placed in the receiving end portion 23 of the silverware compartment is gradually moved along the forarninous floor 43-48 by the oscillation of compartment resulting from operation of the motor 20 with its eccentric weight 22, and as the silverware moves along the steps of the floor it is spread out and turned into a generally endwise orientation with respect to its path of travel. Any silverware not in an endwise orientation by the time it reaches the divider member 42 is moved into an endwise orientation in that area, and the silverware is further spread out before it enters the finishing tunnel by the operation of an oscillating finger assembly 50.and a feed roller 51, both of which are driven by a small electric motor 52 (see FIG. 3). Referring particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, it is seen that the roller 51 ismounted directly upon theshaft of motor 52 and has spiral rubber ribs 51a on its surface. Oscillation of the fingers 50 is provided by an eccentric 53 on the motor shaft of the motor 52, a crank arm 54 on the shaft 50a of the oscillating fingers, and a connecting link 55 between the eccentric 53 and the crank 54. The fingers on the member 50 serve to advance pieces of silverware toward the roller 51 as they swing toward it and retard other pieces of silverware as they swing away from it. The oscillating finger and roller combination of the present apparatus is functionally no different from that in my copending application Ser. No. 50,466 filed June 29, 1970; and they perform the same function of dispersing the silverware as it enters the finishing tunnel 14.

Referring again particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a system of pipes provides high pressure water jets for thoroughly washing silverware as it is passed through the compartment. The system of pipes includes a main lower cross pipe 56 which receives wash water comprising hot water and detergent through a conduit 57 from a pump (not shown) in the base compartment 10. From the water pipe 56 the wash water is sprayed upwardly through the foraminous floor sections 43, 44, 45 and 46 by one or more of a group of parallel bottom spray pipes 58, (FIG. 2) 59,60 and 61 (FIG. 1).

A set of transverse floor spray pipes is seen in FIG. 2 to include a receiving portion pipe 62 which is located above the floor section 43 and a series of floor step edge spray pipes 63, 64, 65, 66 and 67 which are located, respectively, beneath the downstream edges of the foraminous floor panels 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47.

Finally, the compartment has a system of upper spray pipes (FIGS. 1 and 2) which include an outer peripheral spray pipe 68 that extends entirely around the perimeter of the compartment along the intermediate wall 27, the receiving end wall 24, the left side wall 25, the arcuate end wall 32 and the right side wall 26. From the peripheral pipe 68 a longitudinal center spray pipe 69 extends above the receiving portion 30 of the compartment and communicates with a diagonal spray pipe 70 that also feeds into a spray pipe 70a which is seen in FIG. 2 to be at a lower level and to follow the contour of the arcuate guide wall 38. A set of upper transverse spray pipes 71a, 71b and 71c are best seen in FIG. 2 to be oriented to direct sprays of wash water upstream toward the spaces between the steps 43, 44 and 45 to wash solid debris over the upstream step edges such as the edge 44b and thus keep the foraminous steps generally free of debris. Finally, from the circumferential pipe 68 a pipe 72 extends diagonally inwardly above the foraminous floor panel 47 and the guide baffle 42 in the secondary area 31 of the compartment.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the bottom 34 of the compartment terminates at a downstream edge 340 which is above a wash water drain 73 (FIG. 4) and there is a removable refuse drawer 74 which has a foraminous bottom wall 75 on which solid refuse from the waste water may collect and from which it may be periodically removed. The refuse-free waste water returns through a conduit 76 to a wash water tank in the cabinet base 10 from which it had been withdrawn in the first instance. As previously indicated, all of the plumbing arrangements and cycle controls for the apparatus are in accordance with the disclosure of my copending application Ser. No. 50,466, filed June 29, 1970.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as some modifications may be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In silverware handling apparatus which is adapted to feed mixed silverware to silverware sorting and orienting means, in combination:

a silverware compartment which has a floor that is inclined downwardly toward a discharge opening and sidewalls that define a receiving end portion of substantially greater width than the length of the longest piece of silverware to be handled so as to accept a large load of disoriented mixed silverware, said receiving end portion merging into an intermediate silverware guiding portion in which the inclined floor turns transversely through an arc of approximately said guiding portion including a primary area aligned with the receiving end portion and a secondary area alongside the primary area, said secondary area having an outer sidewall and terminating in said discharge opening which is substantially narrower than the length of the shortest piece of silverware to be handled;

a diagonal silverware guide wall which separates said primary and secondary areas and has a free end,

. said diagonal wall being oriented to reduce the width of the primary area progressively from the receiving end portion and cooperating with the outer sidewall to reduce the width of the secondary area progressively toward the discharge opening;

anarcuate silverware guide wall which defines an end of the intermediate guiding portion and cooperates with the free end of the diagonal wall to provide a throat between the primary and secondary areas;

guide partition means in the secondary area which cooperates with the outer sidewall and the diagonal guide wall to orient silverware lengthwise as it approaches the discharge opening;

and means for vibrating the floor to move silverware along it.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the floor has a plurality of separate sections which descend step-wise toward the discharge opening.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the downstream edges of the sections are serrated.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 which includes a silverware conveying tunnel which is connected directly to the discharge opening and has an open discharge end, said tunnel being continuously downwardly inclined toward its discharge end, and in which the vibrating means vibrates the tunnel.

7 8 5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the tunnel is in the first sidewali around said are, said arcuate the form ofashallow'helix beneath the compartment. guide wall cooperating with the free end of the 6. in silverware handling apparatus which is adapted diagonal wall to define a throat between said first to feed mixed silverware to silverware sorting and and second areas; orienting means, in combination: guide partition means in said second area which a silverware compartment which has a floor that is cooperates with the second sidewall and with the inclined downwardly toward a discharge opening, diagonal wall to orient silverware lengthwise as it first and second substantially parallel sidewalls approaches the discharge opening; which define the sides of the compartme t a d an and means for vibrating the floor to move silverware intermediate wall which cooperates with the first 10 along it. sidewall to define a silverware receiving end por- 7, I silverware handling apparatus which is adapted tion of substantial width to accept a large load of to feed mixed silverware to silverware sorting and disoriented mixed silverware, and said interri ti means, in combination: mediate wall cooperating with the second sidewall a silverware compartment which has sidewalls that to define the discharge opening which is alongside l5 d fi a receiving end portion to accept a large Said i ing end P and is tantial y load of disoriented mixed silverware, a discharge rower than the length of the Shortest Piece of opening alongside said receiving end portion, said verware to be handled, said floor turning transverdi h opening being substantially narrower 3 through an arc of approximately between than the length of the shortest piece of silverware the receiving end Portion and the discharge p to be handled, and a floor which is continuously hlg; downwardly inclined throughout said receiving a transverse end wall joining Said first and Second end portion and to said opening, said floor turning sidewalls remote from Said receiving end Portion transversely through an arc of approximately 180 and spaced from said discharge opening;

a diagonal guide wall which forms an extension of said intermediate wall toward said end wall and has a free end spaced from the end wall, said diagonal wall cooperating with the first sidewall to define a first area which narrows toward said end wall and cooperating with the second sidewall to define a second area alongside said first area which between the receiving end portion and the discharge opening;

silverware guide means in the compartment which guides silverware from said receiving end portion around said are to said opening;

guide partition means adjacent the discharge opening which aligns silverware endwise as it approaches the opening; F away f the end wall and toward the and means for vibrating the floor to move silverware discharge opening; along an arcuate silverware guide wall which extends from 

1. In silverware handling apparatus which is adapted to feed mixed silverware to silverware sorting and orienting means, in combination: a silverware compartment which has a floor that is inclined downwardly toward a discharge opening and sidewalls that define a receiving end portion of substantially greater width than the length of the longest piece of silverware to be handled so as to accept a large load of disoriented mixed silverware, said receiving end portion merging into an intermediate silverware guiding portion in which the inclined floor turns transversely through an arc of approximately 180*, said guiding portion including a primary area aligned with the receiving end portion and a secondary area alongside the primary area, said secondary area having an outer sidewall and terminating in said discharge opening which is substantially narrower than the length of the shortest piece of silverware to be handled; a diagonal silverware guide wall which separates said primary and secondary areas and has a free end, said diagonal wall being oriented to reduce the width of the primary area progressively from the receiving end portion and cooperating with the outer sidewall to reduce the width of the secondary area progressively toward the discharge opening; an arCuate silverware guide wall which defines an end of the intermediate guiding portion and cooperates with the free end of the diagonal wall to provide a throat between the primary and secondary areas; guide partition means in the secondary area which cooperates with the outer sidewall and the diagonal guide wall to orient silverware lengthwise as it approaches the discharge opening; and means for vibrating the floor to move silverware along it.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the floor has a plurality of separate sections which descend step-wise toward the discharge opening.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the downstream edges of the sections are serrated.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 which includes a silverware conveying tunnel which is connected directly to the discharge opening and has an open discharge end, said tunnel being continuously downwardly inclined toward its discharge end, and in which the vibrating means vibrates the tunnel.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the tunnel is in the form of a shallow helix beneath the compartment.
 6. In silverware handling apparatus which is adapted to feed mixed silverware to silverware sorting and orienting means, in combination: a silverware compartment which has a floor that is inclined downwardly toward a discharge opening, first and second substantially parallel sidewalls which define the sides of the compartment and an intermediate wall which cooperates with the first sidewall to define a silverware receiving end portion of substantial width to accept a large load of disoriented mixed silverware, and said intermediate wall cooperating with the second sidewall to define the discharge opening which is alongside said receiving end portion and is substantially narrower than the length of the shortest piece of silverware to be handled, said floor turning transversely through an arc of approximately 180* between the receiving end portion and the discharge opening; a transverse end wall joining said first and second sidewalls remote from said receiving end portion and spaced from said discharge opening; a diagonal guide wall which forms an extension of said intermediate wall toward said end wall and has a free end spaced from the end wall, said diagonal wall cooperating with the first sidewall to define a first area which narrows toward said end wall and cooperating with the second sidewall to define a second area alongside said first area which narrows away from the end wall and toward the discharge opening; an arcuate silverware guide wall which extends from the first sidewall around said arc, said arcuate guide wall cooperating with the free end of the diagonal wall to define a throat between said first and second areas; guide partition means in said second area which cooperates with the second sidewall and with the diagonal wall to orient silverware lengthwise as it approaches the discharge opening; and means for vibrating the floor to move silverware along it.
 7. In silverware handling apparatus which is adapted to feed mixed silverware to silverware sorting and orienting means, in combination: a silverware compartment which has sidewalls that define a receiving end portion to accept a large load of disoriented mixed silverware, a discharge opening alongside said receiving end portion, said discharge opening being substantially narrower than the length of the shortest piece of silverware to be handled, and a floor which is continuously downwardly inclined throughout said receiving end portion and to said opening, said floor turning transversely through an arc of approximately 180* between the receiving end portion and the discharge opening; silverware guide means in the compartment which guides silverware from said receiving end portion around said arc to said opening; guide partition means adjacent the discharge opening which aligns silverware endwise as it approaches the opening; and means for vibrating the floor tO move silverware along it. 